Bill would make it more difficult to petition new Maryland laws to referendum

Legislation more than triples number of signatures needed for petition

UPDATED 5:11 PM EST Mar 07, 2013

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -

The process by which Marylanders petition a new law to referendum would become more difficult under a bill under consideration in Annapolis.

Republicans view the electronic petition process as a way to level the playing field with the Democratic majority. Others argue, "What do you need elected officials for if tough issues are always put on a ballot?"

Essentially, the debate divides over whether it's power to the people or a power grab by the Democrat-controlled State House.

"I think it is very important to provide a necessary check and balance to what happens here in Annapolis," said Washington County Delegate Neil Parrott, R-District 2B.

"This is not a uniform American right. The fathers of our country would be aghast to have a referendum over legislation that's passed through the legislative process," said Montgomery County Sen. Richard Madaleno, D-District 18.

After electronically-gathered petitions sent three newly-passed Maryland laws to voters in November, State House leaders decided to take another look at the century-old constitutional right.

"I just think it's time to look at what the rules are from a century ago and (determine whether) they still make sense with the technology of the 21st century because it is such an unusually low bar," said Madaleno, who sponsored the bill to change the petition process.

The bill more than triples the number of signatures required to petition, and it almost doubles the number of names for referendum on the local level.

"None of the referendums even came close to the number of signatures required under this bill," Parrott said.

The legislation shortens the timeframe in which petitions can be submitted, and it changes the date the law would take effect. Twenty-three states have a petition provision in their constitution, but none as lenient as Maryland's.

"We have the second-lowest threshold in the country," Madaleno said.

Parrott single-handedly provided Republicans an effective tool to level the political playing field with the Democratic majority.

"They want to have full say. Right now, there's a big Annapolis machine and they don't want to be challenged in any way shape or form. They don't want Marylanders to be able to speak," Parrott said.

The watchdog group Maryland Common Cause believes the petition process should be protected. The organization would back amendments requiring more transparency on who is financing the drives.